Paint container attachment



Dec. 16, 1952 E. H. BOCK, JR

PAINT CONTAINER ATTACHMENT 7 Filed Aug. 5 1950 INVENTOR QM (T 71 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAINT CONTAINER ATTACHTMEN'I Edward H. Bock, Jr., Wayzata, Minn.

Application August 3, 1950, Serial No. 177,470

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment for a paint container in which paint is retained while being used by the painter.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a plate with a wiping edge attachable to the top of a standard paint can or pail for the purpose of removing excess paint from a paint brush, which, in turn, aids in even application of paint and prevents dripping of paint from the brush while in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachable plate for use on a paint can or pail which may be removably locked in position so as to resist rigidly pressures upon the wiping edge thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an attachment for paint containers which will have no projecting parts extending laterally beyond the periphery of the crown of the container nor upwardly above the substantially flat plane defined by the crown of a paint pail so that the pail handle may swing freely and so that there is no danger of accidental tipping or spilling of contents caused by catching coat sleeves and the like on such projecting parts.

A further object is to provide means for rapid and complete removal of the attachment so that the entire opening of the paint can may be utilized in stirring or mixing paints in the can.

A still further object of the invention is to prevent cutting and fraying of brush bristles during removal of excess paint by providing a straight wiping edge which is bent downwardly at an angle so as to avoid direct contact between the bristles and the sharp edge.

The foregoing objects and other advantages of the invention will becom more apparent from the description below and the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the attachment plate in locked position, and a dotted line representation of its free position, upon the crown of an ordinary paint pail shown in fragment.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the attachment plate alone.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the attachment plate looking in the direction of the arrows 33 indicated on Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an nlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spring detent portion of the attachment plate in position as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view of the wiping edge of the plate taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figure 2 shows a top view of the attachment plate I which is constructed of sheet metal or other substances of suitable rigidity. The edges 2, 3 and 4 are portions of a circular arc whose center coincides with that of the paint pail and whose radius is slightly less than that of the outside perimeter of the crown of the paint container itself. A plurality of L-shaped ears as at 5 and 6 are formed from the plat blank by a stamping operation. The ears conform generally to the curvature defined by arcs 2, 3 and 4.

Also formed integrally from the plate I is the spring detent 1 which is downwardly curved at its center and reversely curved at its outer extremity. Lengthwise and centrally of the detent is a rib 8 which is pressed from the detent in order to strengthen it.

A wiping edge 9 is formed from the plate I by bending over a narrow margin ll] of the straight edge of the blank plate. The margin In is bent through an angle slightly more than degrees from the original plane of the flat plate I and not more than degrees so that excess paint from the outside of the brush bristles will be removed while wiping the brush at the normal operational angle as shown by dotted line in Figure 5, but the sharp edge II will not cut or fray the bristles of the brush.

In the use of the paint container attachment the painter removes the cover (not shown) from the paint container 13 and prepares the paint in the usual manner. When it is ready for application he places the attachment on the paint container in the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, allowing the edge portions 2 and 4 to rest flatly on the crown 12 of the paint container l3. While thus in contact with the container crown [2, the attachment 1 is moved in sliding contact with the crown to the full lin position shown in Figure 1. The ears 5 and B engage the inside edge of crown l2 and at the same time spring detent 1 snaps under groove M of the crown l2 so that the entire attachment is held rigidly in place. When it is desired to remove th attachment the operation is reversed, sliding it back to the dotted line positions of Figure 1.

Instead of wiping his brush on the curved crown of the paint container, the painter can now utilize the straight edge 9 of the attachment plate to remove the excess paint from his brush. The paint remaining in the brush will be evenly distributed, which allows a more efiicient application of paint to the surface being coated and at the same time minimizes dripping and running of the paint during the brushing operation. The excess paint removed from the brush clings to the bottom of plate I momentarily then drips back into the container from the edge H. The groove I4 of the crown 12 thus remains free of paint so that the cover of the pail may be removed and replaced repeatedly without difficulty.

It should be noted that when in operative position the plate I has no projecting corners or portions which extend over the periphery of the container crown l2. Thus if the container has a handle or bail it is impossible to place the attachment in such a location of the crown 12 as will interfere with the swing of the handle or bail nor can any extraneous article such as the coat sleeve of the painter catch on a corner of the attachment and thereby upset the paint container since the effective radius of the attachment is less than that of crown l2 of the container l3.

Pressure upon the straight edge 9 of the attachment serves only to bind the attachment more securely to the container. Thus, the ordinary upward and pushing pressure upon the straight edge 9 such as that exerted by a paint brush will not dislodge the attachment, but pulling the attachment toward the center of the container immediately unlatches the spring detent 1 from the underside of the crown groove 14 and frees the attachment from locked engagement with the container.

The general flat shape and plain area adapt the attachment for advertising literature printed directly thereon or secured thereto as by means of decalcomania transfers.

Having thus described my invention in the foregoing specification, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a paint container having a circular crown at the top thereof of a substantially flat plate attachment in the form of a circular segment with effective radius not greater than that of said circular crown comprising a plurality of depending ears formed at the edge thereof for slidably locking said plate to the crown of said container, a spring detent intermediate the ears for releasably retaining the plate in contact with said crown and a straight chord edge on said plate for wiping excess paint from a paint brush.

2. An attachment for a paint container having an annular crown integrally formed at the top thereof comprising a generally fiat and plane plate, peripheral portions of which define an are having substantially the same radius as said annular crown, opposed ears formed at some of said arcuate peripheral portions extending outwardly from the plane surface of said plate for slidably locking said plate to the annular crown against lateral displacement therefrom, a detent formed at the arcuate periphery of said plate intermediate said opposed ears for releasably retaining the ears in locked position, and a straight edge on said plate opposite said detent for wiping off excess paint from a. paint brush.

An attachment for a paint container having an annular crown integrally formed at the top thereof comprising a generally fiat and plane plate, peripheral portions of which define an are having substantially the same radius as said annular crown, opposed ears formed at some of said arcuate peripheral portions extending outwardly from the plane surface of said plate for slidably locking said plate to the annular crown against lateral displacement therefrom, a spring detent formed at the arcuate periphery of said plate intermediate said opposed ears for releasably retaining the ears in locked position, and a straight edge formed by a bent-over margin on said plate for wiping off excess paint from a paint brush.

4. An attachment for a paint container having an annular crown integrally formed at the top thereof comprising a generally fiat and plane plate, peripheral portions of which define an are having substantially the same radius as said annular crown, opposed ears formed at some of said arcuate peripheral portions extending outwardly from the plane surface of said plate for slidably locking said plate to the annular crown against lateral displacement therefrom, a spring detent formed at the arcuate periphery of said plate intermediate said opposed ears for releasably retaining the ears in locked position, and a straight edge formed by a narrow band bent laterally through an angle of from degrees to degrees from the plane of said plate.

EDWARD H. BOCK, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 681,963 Hanft Sept. 3, 1901 1,984,170 Archbold Dec. 11, 1934 2,435,036 Ferguson Jan. 27, 1948 

